La Romana-First time here-beach people

[mitsugirly]

I would say we are pretty "experienced" as Caribbean cruisers, however, we have never been to La Romana DR yet. We are trying to experience new places and this is on the agenda.

 

We will be in port from 9-4pm.

 

About us: Normally we are beach people. We could hang at the beach all day and still long for more when it's time to leave. We also love snorkeling. So if there's a beach with some snorkeling, that's a plus. If not, then just a beautiful beach will do. We also recently tried Discover Scuba and loved it, so if that's an option, please let us know. We have an 8 year old that will do anything that an adult will, so not looking for your typical "family" things because she's an adventurous little girl. (Been snorkeling since she was 3, certified PADI seal diver and has scuba dived in the ocean on our last cruise, zip lined by herself, swam with dolphins, stingrays, sharks...you name it, she does it).

 

Is there anything this place is known for that is a "must do"? We are not really the "touristy" type of people, so no tours or history, no shopping, no "gotta go here for lunch" places. :D

 

Tell me what you got! :p

[Ykgorbie]

We took an excursion over to Catalina Island - bit of a bus ride, then a 1/2 hr ride on a boat. The beach we went to was GORGEOUS, not great for snorkeling, although my husband saw a few fish. My only complaint was that we didnt get much more than 2 hrs at the beach. I literally could have spent all day there.

 

 

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[blue_water]

If you read the other threads on this forum you'll find recommendations for Seavis Tours and Pro Excursions, two very excellent independent excursion operators that provide both land-based and water-based excursions. I would suggest these options over any cruise line excursions.

 

I think you would really enjoy Seavis' Sanoa Island Special that is geared toward Carnival cruisers. On our first cruise to La Romana I researched heavily and didn't find much here but I did find the Seavis outfit and we and friends really enjoyed that. Check this on their site, they also coordinate the 20 minute taxi to Bayahibe for you. Great excursion, you have lunch and snorkel at Catuano Beach on this excursion, and wade with the starfish at the Natural Pool.

 

http://www.seavisbayahibe.com/saona_special_e.htm

We returned the following year for a 2-week land vacation and stayed at Dreams La Romana (actually close to Bayahibe, a small fishing village)!and took the Pro E's gorgeous cat the "Quetzal" to Catalina Island, a ride up the River Chavon, and a sail along the beautiful Casa De Campo coast. The snorkeling is off the east coast of Catalina at the "Aquarium", then off the "Wall" on the west coast. The nicer beach is by the Wall, but it's also very busy there with people from Casa De Campo and through the cruise ship excursions. That Pro Evtour is not available to day visitors but they also have excursions tailored to day visitors.

 

But we highly recommend the Seavis Saona Special for the overall experience or another option, the natural beauty of this area is not to be missed!

Edited December 12, 2016 by blue_water

[mitsugirly]

We took an excursion over to Catalina Island - bit of a bus ride, then a 1/2 hr ride on a boat. The beach we went to was GORGEOUS, not great for snorkeling, although my husband saw a few fish. My only complaint was that we didnt get much more than 2 hrs at the beach. I literally could have spent all day there.

 

 

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It looks beautiful. How did you book it? Was it using the cruise line? They usually don't go for long and I hate to pay their prices for such a short time there. If private, who did you go with?

[mitsugirly]

If you read the other threads on this forum you'll find recommendations for Seavis Tours and Pro Excursions, two very excellent independent excursion operators that provide both land-based and water-based excursions. I would suggest these options over any cruise line excursions.

 

I think you would really enjoy Seavis' Sanoa Island Special that is geared toward Carnival cruisers. On our first cruise to La Romana I researched heavily and didn't find much here but I did find the Seavis outfit and we and friends really enjoyed that. Check this on their site, they also coordinate the 20 minute taxi to Bayahibe for you. Great excursion, you have lunch and snorkel at Catuano Beach on this excursion, and wade with the starfish at the Natural Pool.

 

http://www.seavisbayahibe.com/saona_special_e.htm

We returned the following year for a 2-week land vacation and stayed at Dreams La Romana (actually close to Bayahibe, a small fishing village)!and took the Pro E's gorgeous cat the "Quetzal" to Catalina Island, a ride up the River Chavon, and a sail along the beautiful Casa De Campo coast. The snorkeling is off the east coast of Catalina at the "Aquarium", then off the "Wall" on the west coast. The nicer beach is by the Wall, but it's also very busy there with people from Casa De Campo and through the cruise ship excursions. That Pro Evtour is not available to day visitors but they also have excursions tailored to day visitors.

 

But we highly recommend the Seavis Saona Special for the overall experience or another option, the natural beauty of this area is not to be missed!

 

Thanks for the information Blue. I super-duper appreciate it. I know you always steer me in a good direction and if it's something you love, then it has to be good.

 

Is the snorkeling pretty good here? Do you know if they offer any Discover Scuba dives? I'll definitely check them out.

 

Thank you so much. :)

[billfish]

We have been to LaRomana three time and have always gone to the AI Dreams resort . Beautiful beach and great food and drinks at a reasonable price $60 pp I think. No so sure about the snorkeling. First Class Check it out

[Ykgorbie]

It looks beautiful. How did you book it? Was it using the cruise line? They usually don't go for long and I hate to pay their prices for such a short time there. If private, who did you go with?

 

 

We were on the Carnival Breeze and booked it through the shore excursions desk onboard. Though we aren't adverse to booking private excursions in some places, I will say that if you are in the least bit nervous about being late getting back to your ship, Catalina island was quite the long boat ride over (not to mention a bus ride to get to the boat).....I would be nervous if the boat broke down - you are a long way from the ship. There are just some islands I am more hesitant to book a private excursion on too - but that's just me.

 

 

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[blue_water]

I don't know if these operators offer any diving but you can check with them and google other options. For a non-beach day Seavis has a ranch (Tamara) with a butterfly farm and reptile touching area, it's part of the River Chavon excursion. If you haven't researched the area, the River Chavon is the location where many movies have been filmed including Apocalypse Now, Rambo II & III, and Jurassic Park. Very lush jungle and there are also fun ATV excursions if interested.

 

The best snorkeling option I know of for day visitors is at the Aquarium and the Wall on Catalina Island, or off Catuano Beach on Saona Island. You access the pier for snorkeling right off the beach at Catuano Beach, and both the Aquarium and the Wall on Catalina are accessible off the boat. But the Wall is just off a very nice beach that Ykgorbie mentioned so you can enjoy the beach as well. As I mentioned it can be very crowded on this beach because Catalina is just off the coast of Casa De Campo near the cruise dock, and the beach is frequented by folks staying in the Casa De Campo complex and from the cruise ship. You will find lounges and umbrellas and other amenities like at the other beaches popular with day visitors.

 

Regarding using these independents versus the cruise line excursion, when we were on Saona with Seavis we saw others coming in with the Carnival excursion and they did not have as much time on the beach nor did they hit all of the spots we did. Seavis and Pro E are top-notch outfits with excellent staff, and they monitor the Carnival port times and adjust their schedules accordingly. Carnival sometimes shifts their port arrival/departure time by 1 hour, and these operators work with that for you. The taxi is also very easy, convenient, and cheap. They've recently started asking for a deposit because of the number of no-shows which is too bad, but we would have no concerns about booking with either of these operators and highly recommend them both. If you return for a longer visit you can take advantage of the full-day excursions of course.

 

As I mentioned earlier you won't find a lot of help here as many day visitors choose to stay near the port or go on cruise line excursions. But some folks here also recommend the independent operators I mentioned, and others who take land vacations here can help with more details on dive and snorkel options. I'd post any questions specific to diving and snorkeling on the Bayahibe forum on TA, there are a couple gals there that are very helpful.

 

Our favorite beach between Catalina and Saona Islands is Catauno on Saona - gorgeous beach! We also had one of the best lunches ever on the Seavis excursion along with plenty of Cuba Libres! And seeing the starfish on the sandbar is fun, especially for the kids.

Pro E has a motorized catamaran excursion to Dolfins Point on Saona Island which is a little further out but not a good snorkeling spot from what I've read.

All of the options for day visitors to go to Saona and I believe Catalina are motorized because of the distance and limited time in port.

 

For anyone considering Dreams La Romana for their day, we spent a couple weeks at Dreams La Romana, no snorkeling right there but a nice enough beach with large palapas. We spent more time off the resort to enjoy a quieter beach and the natural beauty of the area because it was so crowded there. The downside to this property is the beach area is very small in relation to the number of rooms there and it gets very crowded when the resort is busy. One section is reserved for the preferred club rooms as well. They also fill up on weekends when locals stay there. But it is a popular spot for folks wanting an easy beach and AI options.

For anyone interested in returning for a longer visit, we chose to stay at this property over any of the resorts in Punta Cana because it's a short walk along the beach into Bayahibe, and a $1 bus to neighboring Dominicus. So you can experience the small towns and you're not stuck on a resort. Beautiful beaches along the coast and on the nearby islands, and we'd recommend seeing some of the natural beauty while in port.

 

Sorry for the length of this post!!!

[blue_water]

A link from the Bayahibe forum, others staying at Dreams enjoyed their day with scubafun. Gri Gri Divers is a small dive shop located on the public beach between Dreams and Bayahibe, they had a kiosk at Dreams but is looks like ScubaCaribe is now at the Dreams resort.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g663484-i11771-k10031794-Scuba_Diving_by_Dreams_La_Romana-Bayahibe_La_Altagracia_Province_Dominican_Republic.html

[mitsugirly]

I don't know if these operators offer any diving but you can check with them and google other options. For a non-beach day Seavis has a ranch (Tamara) with a butterfly farm and reptile touching area, it's part of the River Chavon excursion.

 

Yea, I don't think I would be interested in the butterfly farm or reptile area and probably not enough time for the River Chavon excursion...but even so, it's not the beach, and that's what we'd rather do.

 

If you haven't researched the area, the River Chavon is the location where many movies have been filmed including Apocalypse Now, Rambo II & III, and Jurassic Park. Very lush jungle and there are also fun ATV excursions if interested.

 

Actually Jurassic Park wasn't filmed there and they believe somehow this rumor got started and people there just ran with it as a "tourism" thing. Jurassic Park was filmed in Hawaii. (Apocalypse Now in Philippines)

 

http://answerthis.co/5522/was-jurassic-park-shot-in-the-dominican-republic

 

That's just a site explaining it. However, there are professional sites that confirm it. The only movie filmed in DR is The Godfather Part II

 

http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/j/Jurassic_Park.html#.WFBrHFy4GnN

 

The best snorkeling option I know of for day visitors is at the Aquarium and the Wall on Catalina Island, or off Catuano Beach on Saona Island. You access the pier for snorkeling right off the beach at Catuano Beach, and both the Aquarium and the Wall on Catalina are accessible off the boat. But the Wall is just off a very nice beach that Ykgorbie mentioned so you can enjoy the beach as well. As I mentioned it can be very crowded on this beach because Catalina is just off the coast of Casa De Campo near the cruise dock, and the beach is frequented by folks staying in the Casa De Campo complex and from the cruise ship. You will find lounges and umbrellas and other amenities like at the other beaches popular with day visitors.

 

Regarding using these independents versus the cruise line excursion, when we were on Saona with Seavis we saw others coming in with the Carnival excursion and they did not have as much time on the beach nor did they hit all of the spots we did.

Yea, that seems to be the norm when booking with the cruise ships (not much time), which is why we would much rather go with a well-known, reputable company.

 

Seavis and Pro E are top-notch outfits with excellent staff, and they monitor the Carnival port times and adjust their schedules accordingly. Carnival sometimes shifts their port arrival/departure time by 1 hour, and these operators work with that for you. The taxi is also very easy, convenient, and cheap. They've recently started asking for a deposit because of the number of no-shows which is too bad, but we would have no concerns about booking with either of these operators and highly recommend them both. If you return for a longer visit you can take advantage of the full-day excursions of course.

 

I was reading other threads saying that they now require a deposit of 20%. I'm ok with that just knowing it will reserve my spot (I've had to pay in full on a lot of reservations before, so no biggie).

 

I doubt we would ever go there for a land vacation. It's just not a place that our airline flies to, so that's out of the question. Gotta squeeze in all that we can during a port visit. :D

As I mentioned earlier you won't find a lot of help here as many day visitors choose to stay near the port or go on cruise line excursions. But some folks here also recommend the independent operators I mentioned, and others who take land vacations here can help with more details on dive and snorkel options. I'd post any questions specific to diving and snorkeling on the Bayahibe forum on TA, there are a couple gals there that are very helpful.

 

It sounds like booking with Seavis and going to Saona and also the starfish would be a better fit for us this time around. It sounds beautiful and interesting.

 

Our favorite beach between Catalina and Saona Islands is Catauno on Saona - gorgeous beach! We also had one of the best lunches ever on the Seavis excursion along with plenty of Cuba Libres! And seeing the starfish on the sandbar is fun, especially for the kids.

 

Seavis says it's goes to Catuano, so yippee!

 

Pro E has a motorized catamaran excursion to Dolfins Point on Saona Island which is a little further out but not a good snorkeling spot from what I've read.

 

According to their page for cruisers, it does not mention which beach they go to, other than "the most beautiful & least crowded beach of Saona island". But their other tours mention going to Mano Juan and Canto de La Playa. So, I would imagine it might be the same? I really want to go to Catuano. The other thing is, they charge $99 for adults/ $49 for children. (Plus the $15 on top for transport just like Seavis).

 

I'm not really sure why there's such a price difference, since Seavis is only $75 for adults and $50 for kids. :confused:

 

All of the options for day visitors to go to Saona and I believe Catalina are motorized because of the distance and limited time in port.

 

For anyone considering Dreams La Romana for their day, we spent a couple weeks at Dreams La Romana, no snorkeling right there but a nice enough beach with large palapas. We spent more time off the resort to enjoy a quieter beach and the natural beauty of the area because it was so crowded there. The downside to this property is the beach area is very small in relation to the number of rooms there and it gets very crowded when the resort is busy. One section is reserved for the preferred club rooms as well. They also fill up on weekends when locals stay there. But it is a popular spot for folks wanting an easy beach and AI options.

For anyone interested in returning for a longer visit, we chose to stay at this property over any of the resorts in Punta Cana because it's a short walk along the beach into Bayahibe, and a $1 bus to neighboring Dominicus. So you can experience the small towns and you're not stuck on a resort. Beautiful beaches along the coast and on the nearby islands, and we'd recommend seeing some of the natural beauty while in port.

 

Sorry for the length of this post!!!

 

 

I'm super excited about this. I think it will be the perfect day.

 

Thanks so much for suggesting it Blue!

[blue_water]

Pro E does go to Dolfins Point for day visitors only and to other areas of the island on the full-day excursions. We like Catuano because it's empty except for our small group, and the beach is very natural and pretty. The "Casa De Campo" beach on Catalina is also nice as Ykgorbie said, can't go wrong with either option.

 

Yes Jurassic was filmed in Hawaii, I actually thought many scenes were from another area in the Pacific. The "Cuban" scenes in Godfather II were filmed here, as were several scenes from Apocalypse Now and The Good Shepherd. Very lush and beautiful jungle...

Edited December 13, 2016 by blue_water

[mitsugirly]

Pro E does go to Dolfins Point for day visitors only (as their site states) and to other areas of the island on the full-day excursions. We like Catuano because it's empty except for our small group, and the beach is very natural and pretty. The "Casa De Campo" beach on Catalina is also nice as Ykgorbie said, can't go wrong with either option.

 

Yes Jurassic was filmed in Hawaii, I actually thought many scenes were from another area in the Pacific. The "Cuban" scenes in Godfather II were filmed here, as were several scenes from Apocalypse Now and The Good Shepherd. Very lush and beautiful jungle...

 

 

Where is Dolfins Point located? I didn't see it on the map they provided, so didn't know if that was there by Catuano on not.

 

I guess the other good thing is that we will be the only cruise ship in port. So, hopefully it won't be a busy day no matter what (even if the cruise ship has an excursion there). :)

[blue_water]

Where is Dolfins Point located? I didn't see it on the map they provided, so didn't know if that was there by Catuano on not.

 

I guess the other good thing is that we will be the only cruise ship in port. So, hopefully it won't be a busy day no matter what (even if the cruise ship has an excursion there). :)

 

We haven't been to Dolfins Point but they show it on their map further east southeast of where Seavis goes on Catuano. So cannot compare but you're right, whatever beach you choose on Saona or Catalina I think you will be pleased!

If you get closer to your departure date and decide it's a more active day than you want you can also taxi into Bayahibe and Dominicus and enjoy the beaches there. They are nice, but not like the islands. You'd also have to coordinate a taxi with another couple or 2 to save on the taxi fare, that's not an issue when booking with Seavis.

[krenae89]

Thank you all so much for the info about this port. My fiance and I are also beach-goers, but I have been so torn on what to do. The Carnival excursions seem to be pretty underwhelming, according to site reviews, and the port doesn't seem friendly enough to walk off the ship and go to a beach.

 

I am leaning heavily towards the Seavis Tours, but I have some questions for anyone who has taken this tour:

 

1) I see that the taxi is right at the end of the port and seems very easy to locate. How is the walk to the taxi, and was it easy to find and get a ride? How was the taxi ride?

 

2) Did you feel like you were returned to port in plenty of time before the ship's sailing? This is my main concern about booking through a 3rd party.

 

I am a worrier, but I want to see the Dominican Republic very much. Staying on the ship is not an option for me. :)

 

Thank you all for your help.

Edited December 28, 2016 by krenae89

[blue_water]

Thank you all so much for the info about this port. My fiance and I are also beach-goers, but I have been so torn on what to do. The Carnival excursions seem to be pretty underwhelming, according to site reviews, and the port doesn't seem friendly enough to walk off the ship and go to a beach.

 

I am leaning heavily towards the Seavis Tours, but I have some questions for anyone who has taken this tour:

 

1) I see that the taxi is right at the end of the port and seems very easy to locate. How is the walk to the taxi, and was it easy to find and get a ride? How was the taxi ride?

 

2) Did you feel like you were returned to port in plenty of time before the ship's sailing? This is my main concern about booking through a 3rd party.

 

I am a worrier, but I want to see the Dominican Republic very much. Staying on the ship is not an option for me. :)

 

Thank you all for your help.

 

1) short walk to the meeting place (where you will be directed by Seavis and the rot staff) and a shorter walk to the taxi. Ride is about 20 min on a new highway.

 

2) no worries - Seavis closely tracks the Carnival schedule and you are back in plenty of time. Carnival simetimes changes their arrival/departure times and the drivers and Seavis monitor that.

 

Definitely take the Seavis Saona excursion, Seavis is an excellent, established outfit with a great staff and thousands of elated Carnival guests. You will find how good they treat you and care for you and be so happy that you did. You will also have much better stories to share at dinner in the MDR than those eho just took the ship excursion for sightseeing! We've been on 10+ and more land-based vacations and this is still one of our favorites. We returned for a two-week stay and this excursion was one of the reasons.

[krenae89]

1) short walk to the meeting place (where you will be directed by Seavis and the rot staff) and a shorter walk to the taxi. Ride is about 20 min on a new highway.

 

2) no worries - Seavis closely tracks the Carnival schedule and you are back in plenty of time. Carnival simetimes changes their arrival/departure times and the drivers and Seavis monitor that.

 

Definitely take the Seavis Saona excursion, Seavis is an excellent, established outfit with a great staff and thousands of elated Carnival guests. You will find how good they treat you and care for you and be so happy that you did. You will also have much better stories to share at dinner in the MDR than those eho just took the ship excursion for sightseeing! We've been on 10+ and more land-based vacations and this is still one of our favorites. We returned for a two-week stay and this excursion was one of the reasons.

 

Excellent! Thank you for the quick reply. I am very excited about booking with this company.

[Runaway Parent]

How do you book with AI Dreams? I didn't see La Romana on Resort for a Day, and can't locate a day rate on the AI Dreams website.

 

Thanks!